Type-bar.



F. RICHARDS.

TYPE BAR.

urmoumx nun ILY 25, 1901. unnwnn MAR. 10

nted

Pate Apr. 20, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATT OFFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICAN TYPOGRAPHIC CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TYPE-BAR.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fran 01s H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to typebars and their manufacture, and has for its main 0b jcC't the provision of a typebar possessing novel features and embodying a series of wrought types upon its edge adapted for use in the typographic art.

Owing the fact that many of the types' used in the typographic art for printing characters are not symmetrically disposed with respect to a central reference line transverse to that line corresponding to the line of height of the resultant printed characters, there is tendency during the action of the type-forming die in the manufactureof an unsymmetrical wrought type, and especially so when the type which is to be made is located near the extreme edge of the blank, for the material under the die and adjacent to this edge to ilOW out from beneath the die rapidly and in quantity, resulting in a type poorly formed at this point, or at least lacking in sharpness and definition. he nearer the type or any portion thereof is to the extreme edge of the blank the less, manifestly, is the support afforded by the stock of the blank to the material being wrought into shape by the die, and in the measure that this support is absent the less the resistance to flowage excrted by the metal. While a forming type, therefore, located in such a. position on the edge of the typebar-blank that substantially equal support is provided at all sides, is formed under conditions best suited to the production of a satisfactory type, on the other hand a type having a portion or portions which are necessarily located nearer one extreme edge of the blank than are other portions to the opposite extreme edge is not in such a position as to be wrought into shape to the best advantage by the die.

In order to permit satisfactory types to be made with equal facility and of good quality throughout irrespective of the location of each particular type or type portion, whether it be symmetrical and located centrally with respect to the blank or whether it be unsymmetrical or situated more to one Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 25, 1901, Serial No. 61,837.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Renewed March 10, 1909, Serial No. 482,575.

side of the central reference line than the other, I provide for the purpose of manufacturing the improved typebar forming the subject-matter of the present invention a die construction and organization which. compensates or counteracts the undue tendency of the material to flow outward from under the die whereby when each successive die is operated by or through the action of suitable mechanism the tendency to flowage on each side of the die is substantially equalized. These results I attain by so relationing the inclination of opposite walls of the die with respect to the location of those walls that the nearer the corresponding side of the forming type is to the extreme edge of the blank the less will be the tendency of the material in and adjacent to that edge and under the die to flow out and empty the die-cavity.

In the drawing accompanying the present specification, Figures 1 and 2 are plan elevational views, respectively, of a typebar embodying the present invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view upon an enlarged scale of a portion of the edge of a typebar-blank provided with a number of types, the figure representing in a conventional way, also, a pair of cutting instruments for trimming off the surplus material forced beyond the sides of the blank during the operation of forming types on the edge of the latter. -Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the edge of the typebar-blank represented in Fig. 3, the plane of the section being that indicated by the dotted line d l in the latter figure and the section being viewed in the direction of the arrow adjacent to that line. Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. the planes of the sections being those indicated by the dotted lines ----5 and 6-6, respectively, and these sections being viewed in the direction of the arrows adjacent to the respective lines. Figs. 7 8 and 9 are crosssectional views of the typebar-blank represented in Fig. 3, the planes of the sections corresponding to those of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, respectively; the scale of l igs. 7, 8 and 9 somewhat less than that to which Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are drawn, and the dies indicated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are shown partly in section and also by dotted lines in various positions they assume during the type-forming operation.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all figures.

In the manufacture of my improved type bar the successive types, it may be stated in a general way, result from the operation of suitable type-forming dies (designated generally by D) upon the blank which type making members are forced one against each other in succession to cause the penetration of the blank by a selected die.

The blank, designated in a general way throughout the present specification and drawing by B, may be of any material suitable for the purposefor instance, typemetal of proper composition brought into the requisite or desired shape in some suitable uianner-for example, by casting, roll ing, or otherwise. I have found, however, that a process for so operating upon the material as to produce a substantially wrought blank as distinguished from a condition resulting from the casting of the same to shape, or at least a blank having that portion or those portions wrought which are concerned in the formation of the several type-blocks, is best suited for the carrying out of the present improvements. Moreover, the blank upon which the types are to be formed may be .a continuous ribbon or rod, or it may be in the form of a separate piece having a length substai'itially equal to the length of the finished typebar.

- In effecting the penetration of the material of the blank by the die it is immaterial whether the movement, which I may designate as a transverse feeding movement, is imparted to the blank or die or to both, but I find it convenient to feed the blank against the die. This feeding movement of the die and blank toward and against each other is not the only movement, however, utilized in forming iy 'in'iproved typebar and for facilitating the filling of each respective diecavity or die-space, for removing the excess or surplus material separated or sheared from the type-block during the type-forming operation and for producing a compact and dense condition of the various surfaces, but in combination with this movement there is a relative subsidiary movement imparted to the members which combined motion operates to produce a type gradually and by a series of reductions to accomplish a coincident and progressive working outward of the excess material. This subsidiary movement operates in conjunction with the aforesaid feeding movement to force excess material away from an adjacent type during the making of the typeharthat is, crosswise or laterally of the blankand for further protecting this already formed type 1 preferably use a wall or plate adapted to enter into the comparatively narrow space between the finished type and the material under the working die in which position it remains during the type-forming operation, serving as a retaining surface against which the moving material or flowage is received and by which it is etlectually directed. Such wall, it is evideir, so far as the purposes it fulfils are concerned, may be separate from the die and operated independently thereof, but I. find it convenient to attach it to the die and operate the two as a unit, while the subsidiary movement operating to gradually form a type and work excess material outward transversely of the blank, moreover, preferably reverses in direction alternately, for the reason that such alternating motion is conveniently attained and is best adapted to produce a symmetrically formed type. in other words, a relative to-and-fro movement imparted to the members the blank and the die) during the period of typeforming, and for the purposes of the present specification l have represented, in Figs. 7, S and 9, the die as having a rocking motion which may be conveniently attained by iuuiarting such motion to a proper die-car rier. The wall previously mentioned as being provided for the purpose of protecting an adjacent type and which insures the ordinary type-separating space is located at the rear side of the type-making die. The die may also (although its presence is by no means essential to the practice of the present invention) be provided on the opposite side with a space-forming die whose width is considerably more than the correspondii dimension of said retaining wall, and which se during the operation of the die on the blank to form a space in advance of the type considerably wider than this space will be eventually when the next type is formed. The purpose of this latter feature is more clearly set forth in my application Serial No. 5193-1, filed ei 'iril 2, 1901, to which reference may be had for a more detailed explanation of the objects sought thereby and the advantages resulting from its employment.

The various operative mechanical details and mechanisms which are adapted to effect a proper relative movement of the typemaking members may be of various sorts and operative in any suitable and proper manner for ffecting the penetration of the appropriate portion of the blank to secure the desired sequence in the composition.

In general. the. various characters of a line of typographic composition are. in comparison one with the other. ditl'ereutly disposed with respect to arbitrary and parallel, longitudinal lines between which are included the characters of tile line. In other words, some of the types for producing characters are centrally disposed in the space between the said boundary lines, while other types are located nearer one line than the other. Assuming that these boundary lines represent approximately the longitudinal edges of a typebar-blank, it is evident, that some of the types in the typebar made therefrom are necessarily located nearer one extreme edge of the bar than the other, or at least have that portion of their body contiguous to one extreme edge nearer to the latter than the distance between the other extreme edge and the portion of the type body adjacent thereto. The result of this variation in position of the type bodies with respect. to the extreme edges of the blank, gives rise to a tendency on the part of the material under the working die, during the penetration of the blank by the latter to flow outward with greater facility from that portion of the forming type which lies nearest to one or the other of the two sides of the blank and as a result of the flowage induced by the type- .format-ive stresses, the moving material carries with it a portion of the mass within the cavity of the die, tending thereby to empty that particular locality therein wnich is ad jacent to the nearer edge. I have found that this tendency is eliminated or obviated to a very great extent by making the side of the diethat is, that peculiar wall thereof adjacent to the side of the blankmore nearly parallel to such side measured depthwise of the blank, the nearer the die is situ ated to the side of the blank during the typeforining operation. This making of the Wall of the die more nearly parallel to the side of the blank has the effect of holding metal in the .die againstso free a flow-age therefrom, thus in a measure reducing the otherwise excessive tendency of the metal in the flowage stream below the die from dragging metal necessary for the formation of the typeblock outwardly and downwardly and emptying thereby the diespace of some of the metal previously forced upward into said space. I have found, furthermore, that by thus making the side wall of the die more nearly parallel with the vertical height of the type body in proportion as the type-face extends more nearly to the side of the blank, the movement of the different parts of the metal are regulated and controlled with the effect of materially promoting the efficiency of the die action and increasing the perfection of the product with a given amount of die action on the blank. Thus, taking the l, o, and y as typical of these various relative positions existing in the typographic art, and consequently in the manufacture of a wrought typebar from a typebar blank, the l as shown in Fig. 3 extends nearly to one extreme edge of the blank, while the y extends nearer to the opposite extreme edge and the o is centrally located. The material under the respective dies during the action of the latter in forming their corresponding types flows toward the outer side of the typebar-blank tending to remove a portion of the total mass within the die necessary to form and buildup the complete type-block. This tendency diminish or suppress by making that wall of the die which serves to form the face of the typeblock at the nearer edge more nearly parallel to the vertical axis of the die, see particularly the wall 2 in Fig. 7, which figure represents a suitable die for forming the l as compared with the inclination of the opposite wall 3, and in. the relative inclination of the walls of the die for forming the y that is, the angles made by the Walls 2 and 3 with the axis of the die in Fig. 9. As regards the o, it is evident from an examination of Figs. 3 and 8 that in this particular style of type the o is centrally located with respect to the extreme edges of the blank, and hence the inclination of the walls 3 and 2 may be the same with respect to the axis of the die.

In the style of type-blocks represented the more nearly vertical face of the opposite faces herein specified does not extend the entire distance to the impression or type face, but is connected t-herewithin some of the blocks by a short face g or 3 which, of course, implies a corresponding conformation of the interior faces of the corresponding dies.

The dies D for producing the several types used in composition may be brought into proper relation to the typeblank by hand or by mechanism operating or oper ated to attain the desired sequence. The machine ordinarily used for making the present typebar will embody therefor a seri es of selective dies combined with mechanism for bringing the blank and each selected die in proper relation to form types located in proper positions on the blank.

With respect to the direction, rapidity, and extent of the transverse feeding movement and the oscillatory movement and the relation of these various factors to each other, as well as the relation of the two specified movements'one to the other, these may be varied in any desired manner. The duration of the oscillatory movement may be embraced, for instance, within the limits of the period in which the members are fed toward and against each other, but preferably the oscillation Will commence after the type. has been partially formed and cease just before the feed movement terminates. Furthermore, both movements may be uniform tl'iroughout their whole duration or either may be varied or they may both be varied.

lVith respect to an appropriate interrelation, I have found good results to follow from the gradual reduction of the trans verse feeding movement during the latter portion of such. movement accompanied by a concurrent oscillatory movement decreasing in amplitude or extent of oscillation nt, casing ahogether just prior to the ion of the latter.

i he mtion to which the material under considered in its entirety, is subas a result of the oscillatory movewhen the blank is under the compression of the die may be. described as a rolling its the die advances into the mateof ihe blank and the oscillation from to side takes place, indicated in a genway by dotted positions D, D of during' the later sta es of the feeding move dies, more and more of the material is red into the die-rarity and subjected to and swaging action of the walls faces of such cavity. More and more .he material necessary to build up and fora; the type-block, as the ed 'es of the outer portion of the die alternately bite fresh into the blank, is forced or squeezed upward into the die and under the impact l pressure of the interior faces of the die, a the relative inclination of these faces to the :--turfaces of the mass changes, by reason e o cillatory movement, the material is forced a nd wrought to form, while the faces 1e bottom of the die-cavity serve to c upper portion of the type-block 2 uting the type face to shape. 'i-flzcn the type-block it is being formed ocated adjacent to the extreme edge of typcbar-blank, the wall of the die close 'o the latter being made. more nearly pari blank that is, ring more in the direction of the die more nt as compared with the other wallpresents less horiyontal surface to the that al, the effect of which is to confine the force urging the material downward to the outside of the die and to lessen the presure on the mass within the die. The

i tending to induce tiowage are there- "test at the outside of the die and .age movement within the mass of i -cavitv is reduced in proportion as made more nearly "ection in which the The action to which the material of the blank is sub' l-ed is one etlecting a gradual veduction thereof, operating, moreover, to

pact the material of the type-block and .ider the surfaces smooth and unbro ten and to connect them one with the other in a manner precisely conforming to the boundary edges or lines of in section between the planes of the correspo. nn "aces of the die. l urtherinore. the forging operation results in. the strengthening of the integral connec tion of the block with the stock of the blank, while, during the oscillatory movement, first on one side and then on the other, an outlet is created by reason of the slight separation of the material from the faces of the die through which air confined in the latter may es ape and oil, grease and other foreign matter may be squeezed out, assisting by this action in forming an exact counterpart of the type-forming die.

I find it convenient to remove those portions of the edge of the blank at the sides of the type-block and adjacent to the sides of the working die concurrently with the formation of the type-block, and l utilize for this purpose the described oscillatory motion to gradually work such material outward laterally of the blank. The crosswise movement of this material is effectively accomplished by presei'iting to the material at such points where movement or flow is requiredthat is. at the sides of the die-a relatively l'xed surface or surfaces which as the result of the oscillatory motion works the material under it outwardly by pressing on the same. Such surfaces, it is manifest, may be inclependent of the die, but for the sake of convenience they may be connected therewith and may in fact be formed by the surfaces of integral extens ons of the die body. They are here so repr nted, (see particularly the surface of the extensions 4 of the die,) the lower edge of the retaining wall already mentioned serving to confine the material endwise of the blank being also utilized for displacing the material to some extent if it is desired to form a typebar with deep recesses between the types as shown at :0 in the illustrated bar.

The n'iaterial forced beyond the planes of the sides of the typebar by the operation of the dies may be trimmed off and removed to bring the sides of the bar into substantial parallelism, by some suitable means-such, for instance, as cutting instruments c0, shown in a conrentional way in Fig. 3. Thus, within limits, there is provided according to the present invention an. organization of diewalls or faces for the production of consecutive tyges which permit the dies to be operated at any portion of the edge of the blank with reference to the position of the die transverse of the blank edge. In other words, by adapting the relation of the wall of the die to the particular position transversely of the olank assumed by the die when working, the facility with which the material flows downward under th action of the advancing die is substantially equalized for the two sides of the bla k whether the extreme edges of the latter are located at the same distance from those walls or whether they are located at unequal distances therefrom.

The spaces between the types of words or letters, whether such spaces be of uniform width or otherwise, may be made in any suitable inanncr. but preferably they will be formed by a suitable die or dies operating to remove portions of the edge of the blank sidewise of the latter and form spaces by a rolling action, as already described.

Having described my invention, I claini l. The type bar herein described embodying a body portion and a series of forged types thereon, the rinting faces of said types extending difi' zrent distances toward the sides of said body portion and those ends of the types which are most adjacent to such sides being of less inclination to the perpendicular of the printing face than are the more remote ends.

2. As an article of manufacture, a type bar body portion having a series of wrought type blocks surmounted by type faces, said type faces being disposed at different relative distances from the sides of the body portion throughout said series and the ends of the blocks supporting those type ends which more nearly approach the sides of the body being disposed at a less angle to the perpendicular of the type face than are the other ends of the blocks.

3. As an article of manufacture, a type bar having upon its edge a line of type blocks surmounted by type faces, some of said type blocks having one end of the type face located nearer one edge or side of the type bar than is the other end and the end walls of said blocks which are nearer the side or edge of the type bar being of less inclination to the perpendicular of the type face than are the other end walls of said blocks, and said type blocks being of uniform density throughout their entire type faces.

4. A type bar having type thereon, one or more of such type having one or more of its end faces inclined to the sides of said bar, the nearer the end face of a type to the edge of the bar the less the inclination of such face.

A type bar having type thereon, each having one or more of its end faces inclined to the sides of said bar, the inclined faces of those type nearest to the edge of the bar having less inclination than the inclined faces of companion type.

6. A type bar having type thereon, the

end faces of some of which have a different inclination with relation to the sides of said bar thanthe end faces of companion type.

7. A type bar having type thereon, the end faces of some of which have a different inclination with relation to the sides of said bar than the end faces of companion type, the nearer such inclined end faces to the edge of the bar the less the inclination of such faces relatively to the sides of such bar.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS.

W'itnesses FRED. J. DoLn, CHARLES E. Voss. 

